Bearing assemblies, such as thrust bearings, are used in rotary applications and permit rotation between parts and support predominantly axial loads. Turbines used for the generation of electric power include a thrust bearing to protect against axial motion of the turbine rotor assembly. The thrust bearing may be provided at a position intermediate the low-pressure and high-pressure stages of a turbine. The axial position of the turbine rotor shaft is an important variable in the operation of the power plant since a variation of only a few hundreds of an inch in a device that is tens of feet long can result in damage to seals.
Known tilting pad thrust bearings are formed of multiple pieces, including a ring carrier, a round socket joint, and a pad that sits on top of the socket joint to reduce wear damage to the ring carrier caused by the axial forces by the turbine rotor shaft. The individual pieces may be formed by casting and/or machining blocks of metal that are joined together. Joints between the multiple components are subject to the axial loads of the turbine. Additionally, the multiple components are joined together at rigid joints that may be subject to increased risk of fracture.
Furthermore, as the designs of turbines improve, turbine assemblies are capable of operating at higher loads, thereby increasing the operating temperature of the turbine assemblies. Cooling passages formed within the thrust bearings are limited by the machining capabilities of the thrust bearing components. As the manufacturing complexity of the thrust bearing increases, so does the cost of the thrust bearing.